The present invention relates to quick connect fasteners for holding panels, other components, together and, more particularly, to ¼ turn fasteners which can be fastened and unfastened quickly and repeatedly.
As can be seen from Prior Art FIG. 1, fasteners 110 of the ¼ turn type have been known which include a grommet 112, a said 114 and a receptacle 116. The fastener 110 holds together two panels 118 and 120, with adjacent sides of the panels in contact with one another, by extending through openings 122 and 124 formed in the panels to receive the fastener. The grommet 112 has a cylindrical body 126 sized to extend through the opening 122 in one of the panels 118, usually an outer panel, and one end of the cylindrical body 126 has a radially outward extending flange 128 to engage the outer surface of the outer panel 118. The stud 114 has a shaft 130, a head 132, a cross pin 134 extending through the shaft at an end opposite to the head, a cup member 136 slidable along the shaft and a spring on the shaft between the head and cup member and received in the cup member.
The receptacle 116 of the fastener 110 has a generally cylindrical body 142 and a flange 144 projecting radially outward from one end of the body. The receptacle body 142 defines a central opening and has cam and locking surfaces 146 defined at an end opposite the radially outward extending receptacle flange 144. The panels 118 and 120 are brought together so that the stud 114 and the receptacle 116 are in alignment. The head 132 of the stud 114 is engaged by a turning tool pushed inwardly against the bias of the spring, and turned ¼ turn with the cross pin 134 of the 130 in engagement with the cam and locking surfaces 146 of the receptacle 116. This action locks the fastener 110 in place with the two panels 118 and 120 in secure engagement with one another.
Although the fastener 110 employs a turning tool to turn the stud head 132 and engage the cross pin 134 with the receptacle 116, other such fasteners may include a folding handle pivotally attached to the stud head, to perform this step. In an upright position, the folding handle is used to turn the stud head and can then be pivoted out of the way into a folded position after the stud head is turned. For example, folding rings have been used as such a folding handle in ¼ turn fasteners and include projections which are received within the stud head, to pivotally attach the folding rings to the stud head. However, one drawback of these folding handles is they may become dislodged from the stud head with minimum torsional force while being used to turn the stud head.
Another drawback of such ¼ turn fasteners is that they may require access to the back of the supporting panel 120, in order to secure the flange 144 to the panel 118. However, in many applications one is not able to access certain areas of a panel. Although fastening devices that include fastener receptacles that are referred to as rivet nuts or nutserts are known which do not require access to a back of the supporting panel, these fastener receptacles (rivet nuts or nutserts) are not capable of direct engagement with such ¼ turn fasteners.